Expect hotel prices to be 2-3 times higher during ski season; shop around for bargains from June through September. During Sundance expect every hotel within thirty miles of town to be booked, so make plan far in advance. If visiting in the summer be aware that ski lodges and condo units will be operating with significantly less staff, meaning that you may be picking up your key from a lockbox rather than the front desk and may not be able to quickly resolve any problems with your room; hotels will not have this problem.

Expect hotel prices to be 2-3 times higher during ski season; shop around for bargains from June through September. During Sundance expect every hotel within thirty miles of town to be booked, so make plan far in advance. If visiting in the summer be aware that ski lodges and condo units will be operating with significantly less staff, meaning that you may be picking up your key from a lockbox rather than the front desk and may not be able to quickly resolve any problems with your room; hotels will not have this problem.

Revision as of 18:12, 29 November 2012

Park City[26] is a year-round resort town located on the Eastern (or Back) of the Wasatch Mountains, part of the Rocky Mountain Range in Utah. Altitude in town ranges from 6,720 to 8,460 ft. above sea level. The surrounding Wasatch Mountain rise over 10,000 ft. Probably best known for its skiing and winter season with three world-class ski resorts- Park City Mountain Resort, The Canyons Resort and Deer Valley Resort - as well as hosting the annual Sundance Film Festival.

Contents

Understand

Long before Park City became a world class mountain resort and venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, it was famous as a silver mining town, and boasts a lively and colorful past. Founded by prospectors in the late 1860's, Park City continued to mine silver until the early 1970's.

From approximately 1850, when small settlements were forming, until the railroad lines were laid throughout the West in the 1890s, stagecoach travel was the main form of transportation. There was even a stagecoach business in Park City! William Kimball, a Park City resident, started his stagecoach business in 1858 competing with Brigham Young for United States mail contracts. He was sent to England on a Mormon Church mission and when he returned, he started the Park City-Salt Lake City Route. The Kimball Brothers Stage Line operated from 1872 until 1890, when the railroad made its way into the West. Moving quicker as well as transporting more people and mail, the railroad easily put the stagecoach out of business.

Between 1880 and 1920 when Park City mines were the most organized, productive and active, they produced more than 20 million tons of ore including lead, zinc, copper, silver, and a small amount of gold. These were the years of Park City's mining renaissance. The mining company, Park City Consolidated Mines, started the ski business in 1963, when they built the first lifts on what was then called Treasure Mountain. The Park City area now has three world class resorts: Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, and the Canyons Resort.

In 2002 Park City was a major host site for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. 175 city volunteers contributed more than 6000 hours to the Games, or the equivalent of 750 workdays (and this doesn't even count the public safety volunteers).

Park City Museum, 528 Main Street, 435-649-6100, [27], M-Sa 10AM-7PM, Su Noon-6PM (closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.)Located on Historic Main Street in Park City, the Museum recently underwent a $9 Million renovation. Stop by the Museum Store to get tips and guest information from the Visitor Bureau's Visitor Information Specialists.

Park City Visitor Info Center, 1885 West Ute Rd, 435-649-6100, [28], M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 10AM-7PM. Currently located in the lobby of the Richens Building & Summit County Library. A new Visitor's Center, which is located next door, is under construction and will be completed in late 2012.

Get in

The Salt Lake City International Airport is just 36 miles from Park City via interstate 80.

Interstate 80 runs east from Salt Lake City through Parley's Canyon into Park City. Take the Kimball Junction exit (#145) onto SR-224. Park City is also accessible from US-40 to the east from Keetley Junction on SR-248.

Get around

Park City has a year-round free city-wide transit system. The bus routes connects historic Main Street, Kimball Junction, Prospector, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons Resort. Traveling with skis or snowboards on public transit is not a problem.

Over 75% of public parking is free of charge in the historic area of Main Street. Most feasible parking is $1.50 an hour with a 3 hour time limit. There is also free parking in alley lots, Chine Bridge Garage Levels 1-3, and the Upper Level Gateway Garage.

See

Alf Engen Ski Museum, 3419 Olympic Parkway (he Utah Olympic Park is accessible eastbound and westbound from I-80, about 28 miles east of downtown Salt Lake City.), ☎(435) 658-4228‎, [1]. 9AM to 6PM. The Alf Engen Ski Museum is in the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center at Utah Olympic Park, four miles north of town. It contains more than 300 trophies, medals, uniforms, scrapbooks, skis, boots, photos, films and other collectables that span some 70 years in the career of the Engen family. The museum's educational component gives school children a skiing-based foundation to study subjects such as the water cycle, physics and Utah's colorful history.FREE.

Kimball Art Center, 638 Park Avenue, ☎435-649-8882, [2]. Weekdays 10AM-5PM; Weekends 12PM-5PM. The Kimball Art Center is non-profit center for the arts committed to inspiring experiences through education, exhibitions and events. The Kimball Arts Festival is the signature annual event hosted in early August each summer.

Sundance Film Festival, [3]. Started in 1978, the largest American independent film festival is held every year in Park City and surrounding areas. The 2011 version will be taking place from January 20-30 and provides a great opportunity to see films and stars. This festival is widely recognized as the premier showcase for American and international independent film and has grown to include film culture events, panel discussions, youth programs, an online exhibition, and live music for its 45,000 yearly attendees.

Kimball Arts Festival, [4]. The three-day festival is set to offer a newly programmed multi-sensory artistic experience for its anticipated 45,000 attendees, including visual-art exhibitions, live musical performances, cuisine-related activities, art-focused film screening, as well as its largest fundraising event, The Park City Kimball Arts Festival Opening Night Gala and Auction.

Egyptian Theatre Company, 328 Main Street, ☎435-649-9371, [5]. Park City's Historic Egyptian Theatre was built in 1926 and is home to a professional theatre company that puts on several musicals and a play every year in addition to hosting concerts and the Sundance Film Festival. $10-$40.

White Pine Nordic Ski Center, Park Avenue and Thaynes Canyon Drive, Park City, Utah, ☎435-649-6249, [6]. 20 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski tracks are maintained by White Pine Touring in the winter for classic and skate skiers. The 3k, 5k and 10k+ loops wind through the base of Park City's scenic Wasatch Mountains. Lessons and rentals are available for all levels and ages of cross-country skiers.$8-$20.

Buy

Resort shopping areas such as the Resort Center at Park City Mountain Resort, Silver Lake Village at Deer Valley Resort, and the Resort Village at The Canyons, make it easy to browse between runs.

Gallery Mar, 580 Main Street, ☎435-649-3001, [7]. Gallery MAR welcomes both emerging and seasoned collectors and feature fine contemporary art spanning from detailed still life works to abstracted landscapes and whimsical figurative pieces. The gallery seeks out non-commercial artwork and specializes in individualized customer service for private and public collections, as well as designers and decorators. Media include oil and acrylic paintings, mixed media, bronze sculpture, and ceramic. From vast canvases to intimate smaller works. Painting starter sets, art supplies, and fine art books available.

Eat

Main Street Pizza & Noodle, 530 Main Street, ☎435 645-8878, [9]. 11AM-midnight. This spacious pizza joint on Main Street is a hidden gem - featuring homemade fresh pasta, free drink refills, and tasty (if a bit cornflower-heavy crusted) pizza, this is a great place to go after a day on the slopes. While the pizza is what this place is known for, you'll be missing out if you don't order one of their homemade pasta dishes, like Pasta #5, homemade spaghetti with fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and tomatoes sauteed with white wine.moderate.

Zoom, 660 Main Street, Park City, Utah, ☎4356499108, [10]. Tuesday-Saturday 5PM - 9PM. Zoom- An elegant rustic style restaurant owned and operated by the Sundance Resort group. Zoom offers a diverse menu of Midwestern style cuisine mixed together with an international flavor. The diverse menu reflects the different backgrounds of its elite kitchen staff, who have brought with them regional influences from all parts of the country. Zoom is part of the Sundance Resort’s family of restaurants, all of which serve inventive American cuisine.midrange.

Drink

Sleep

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:

Budget

Under $100

Mid-range

$100 - $200

Splurge

Over $200

Expect hotel prices to be 2-3 times higher during ski season; shop around for bargains from June through September. During Sundance expect every hotel within thirty miles of town to be booked, so make plan far in advance. If visiting in the summer be aware that ski lodges and condo units will be operating with significantly less staff, meaning that you may be picking up your key from a lockbox rather than the front desk and may not be able to quickly resolve any problems with your room; hotels will not have this problem.

Park City Lodging, Inc., 2064 Prospector Ave., ☎435-649-6175, [11]. checkin: 4 p.m.; checkout: 10 a.m.. Park City Lodging, Inc. features a wide variety of Park City vacation rental properties at Canyons, Park City Mountain Resort, and Deer Valley. We offer properties for every group and budget ranging from studios and hotel rooms to 6-bedroom private homes. $180 to $.

Budget

Best Western Landmark Inn, 6560 N Landmark Drive, ☎+1-435-649-7300 (fax: +1-435-649-1760), [12]. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. A 100% smoke-free hotel with 106 rooms that is located just off of I-80, several miles from downtown Park City. Amenities include an indoor pool and hot tub, a tiny exercise room (three pieces of equipment), free cookies, expansive lobby with fireplace, complimentary buffet breakfast, HBO, and wireless internet. The Best Western is comparable to the nearby Holiday Inn Express, and while not as nice as the pricier resort hotels it is a good value for the money with a comfy lobby and friendly staff.$50-$150.

Holiday Inn Express, 1501 Ute Boulevard, ☎+1-435-658-1600 (fax: +1-435-658-5059), [14]. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 12PM. Like the Best Western and Newpark Hotels, the Holiday Inn Express is located just off of I-80, a few miles from the ski resorts and downtown Park City. It is a smoke-free hotel that offers the expected functionality of most of the hotels in this chain: free breakfast, fitness center, pool, free cookies, clean room, HBO, wireless, and good service. The soundproofing leaves a bit to be desired - if you have moderately noisy neighbors you'll hear their every word - but the staff is responsive to complaints. For those choosing between this hotel and the Best Western, the Holiday Inn has a better fitness area and slightly nicer rooms, while the Best Western offers a better breakfast, high-def TVs, and cosier common areas.$70-$120.

Mid-range

The Yarrow Hotel and Conference Center, ☎+1-800-927-7694 ([email protected], fax: +1-435-649-4819), [15]. Located in the heart of Park City. Within three miles of ALL THREE of the top ten ranked Park City Ski Resorts. Ideal for year round outdoor fun and experiences!

Newpark Resort, 1456 Newpark Boulevard, ☎+1-435-649-3600 (toll free: +1-877-649-3600, [email protected], fax: +1-435-615-7767), [17]. Eco-friendly rooms feature a fireplace, couch, luxury linens, expansive bath, and flat-screen television. Hotel amenities include an indoor/outdoor pool, workout room, and several common areas with fireplaces. Downtown Park City is several miles away making a vehicle a necessity, and the location is caddy corner to a mall, but it's quiet, extremely clean, and a good option for those looking for an upscale place to spend the night.Rooms from $159/night.

Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street (near the top of Main Street), ☎800-344-2460, [23]. Eco-tique hotel located near the top of historic Main Street. Family owned, mid-sized suite hotel and conference center. Park City's first green hotel -- 100% carbon neutral.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!